Jan Cota is a Southern California native. She grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and graduated from Bishop Amat High School. While a member of the Immaculate Heart Community, she earned a B.A. from Immaculate Heart College.

While teaching for Los Angeles Unified Schools, she attended graduate school at the University of California at Northridge and received a teaching credential from the State of California. This is her 30th year of teaching, her 27th Kindergarten class and her 13th year at Our Lady of Refuge.

Mrs. Cota resides in Newport Beach with her husband, Jim. They are frequent visitors to New York and San Francisco where their daughters, Carrie and Caitlin, have made their homes.

Karin Ayala was born and raised in Los Angeles, California with her parents and younger sister. She is now residing in Whittier with her husband and two wonderful children, Duardo, 4, and Ariana, 2.

She attended California State College, Los Angeles, and earned a B.A. in Child Development. She then attended loyola Marymount and earned her masters in Education.

Mrs. Ayala is in her 8th year of teaching in Catholic schools, and her first year here at Our Lady of Refuge. She has been teaching Kindergarten and First Grade throughout her teaching years. She is very excited to be here at Our Lady of Refuge and is looking forward to a wonderful year.

Mrs. Mary Ellen Faubert has taught in Catholic Schools since 1977 and has been the second grade teacher at Our Lady of Refuge
since 1985. She earned her B.S. in Education degree from Worcester State College, in Worcester, Massachusetts, and did graduate work at Long Beach State University.

She is the mother of three grown children and has two grandchildren. For four years she and her husband Roger were in deaconate formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles; he was ordained a permanent deacon on June 12, 2004.

Mrs. Faubert believes children need consistency, practice and the feeling of accomplishment to do their best in a school setting. She uses her own enjoyment of music and singing to help reinforce reading skills. Her lifetime work as an educator has brought her much joy and fulfillment.

Kamie Kelley was born at Kaiser Hospital in Harbor City and raised in San Pedro. She currently resides with her husband Andrew in Lakewood. Before coming to Our Lady of Refuge she worked for Los Angeles Unified School District. This is Mrs. Kelley's sixth year of teaching at Our Lady of Refuge. Her dream and goal in life has always been to become an elementary school teacher.

She is a graduate of the California State University of Long Beach with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and a concentration in Visual and Performing Arts. She has received her Multiple Subject Credential with CLAD emphasis.  Through her Visual and Performing Arts background she hopes to incorporate her teaching methods making the classroom environment an exciting, loving, and interactive experience for her students. Early on in her teaching experience she felt drawn to her Catholic faith and chose to become a teacher within the Catholic community.

Maria was born in New York, lived on Long Island and attended St. Clare's Elementary School. Christ the King High School and St John's University. She and her husband moved to California in 1979. Her husband was in banking and she became a financial analyst for Paccar Inc. (owners of Peterbilt and Kenworth). She graduated from California State University at Long Beach and received her degree in Business Management. In 1991, she changed careers, went back to school and became a Montessori teacher. During the past 13 years, she taught and directed in 3 Montessori schools, Westerly School and Long Beach Unified Public Schools. She is currently enrolled in the Credential Program at California State University Long Beach.

She and her husband of 29 years, Ed, have 3 daughters - Caralyn (19 Yrs. old), Michelle (16 yrs. old) and Jamie (11 yrs. old). They have been members of Our Lady of Refuge parish since 1981 (even though they now live in Cypress). Maria is a Eucharistic Minister and a member of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) team. She is the catechist for the children receiving their sacraments. Recently, she has also joined the Liturgy Committee. She has been on the boards of several non-profit organizations and continues to do community service and charitable work with her family. She believes in building children's self-esteem and that "character" counts. She and her family live by the phrase, "Make time for God, He'll always make time for you!" She is very excited to join the faculty at Our Lady of Refuge.

Rosemary Oates Mongelluzzo is a native of Mobile, Alabama, and has lived in Long Beach for the past 23 years. She attended St. Mary's Elementary School and Bishop Toolen High School in Mobile. She received a B.S. in elementary education with a concentration in health from Auburn University. Mrs. Mongelluzzo took graduate courses in special education at the University of New Orleans.

For the past 37 years, Mrs. Mongelluzzo has taught grades 2 through 8 in three states in both public and parochial schools. She believes Catholic education is a choice that leads to a rewarding future both spiritually and academically.

Mrs. Mongelluzzo enjoys a variety of sports and spending time with her husband, Bill, and their two daughters, Theresa and Angela.

Mr. Lowery is in his fifth year of teaching in Catholic schools, and his second here at Our Lady of Refuge.  He teaches the social studies and religion classes for grades six through eight.  Mr. Lowery graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 2002 with a B.A. in history and a minor in political science.  He is currently finishing coursework for his teaching credential and Masters degree in education at Mount Saint Mary’s College in Los Angeles.

Mr. Lowery was raised in Diamond Bar and currently lives in Los Angeles.  He is an avid sports fan.  In his spare time, he enjoys going to Dodger Stadium to watch baseball games.

Stacey Stewart, a native of Ohio, moved to California with her family when she was a small child.  One of five children, she graduated from St. Joseph High School in Lakewood. She has attended Loyola Marymount University; California State University, Long Beach; California State University, Los Angeles; and National University.  She holds a California Teaching Credential, a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, and a Master’s Degree in Education with a major in Cross-Cultural Education.  In addition, she has completed courses toward a second Master’s Degree in Educational Technology, and is currently attending UCLA, working toward a second subject area authorization to her teaching credential. 

With the opening of the 2007-2008 school year, Ms. Stewart is entering her thirteenth year of teaching, twelve of which have been at the junior high and high school levels.  She is very excited to once again be teaching Algebra and science, subject areas that are her first loves and at which she has several years’ experience.  When not teaching and planning, Ms. Stewart spends much of her time with her two daughters or engaging in her favorite pastimes: camping, gardening, and playing with her puppy, Winston.

Kathy Schroeder is the physical education teacher/athletic director at Our Lady of Refuge. She has taught at Our Lady of Refuge for six wonderful years. She received her bachelor of science degree in physical education at Florida Southern College in 1998. She then taught for three years in Florida before returning to Long Beach. Her passion is volleyball and she enjoys both coaching and playing the sport.

Art Maramba is the Director of Music at Our Lady of Refuge Parish and School. He uses his experience in working with children and youth by teaching music for all grades at Our Lady of Refuge School and assisting as needed in our Religious Education Department. 

Art is a native of the Philippines, who immigrated to the United States when he was eleven years old. He is the eldest of three brothers in a family of musicians. Art began his involvement in music ministry while a student at La Salle High School, and remained active in it ever since. 

Art previously served as music director at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral in San Bernardino, at Holy Innocents in Long Beach and at historic Mission San Gabriel.